Comfort
by Coan-teen1
Summary: Gambit/OFC Just as one X-Man leaves the team for good, another arrives. She is in need of a friend, and some of her colleagues are in need of closure. Rated R for language, violence, non-graphic rape scene.
1. News

Title: Comfort  
  
Author: Coan_teen  
  
Archive: Fanfiction.net, whoever asks really nicely.  
  
Category: Angst, maybe eventually Romance (I hope!). Alternate Universe, which Fanfiction.net doesn't recognize.  
  
Rating: Oh, I'm gonna venture and say R for language and sexual stuff. It may end up PG-13, though.  
  
Warnings: Some seriously AU character death. Therefore, no spoilers.   
  
Disclaimer: I don't personally own any piece of Marvel or anything else particularly lucrative. I do, however, own Dice. She is a mutant of my own creation, though intentionally similar to an established Marvel character.  
  
Summary: A young mutant arrives at the Xavier Institute just as an old member leaves.  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Remy awoke to the searing light of an examination lamp. "Whoa, turn it down," he mumbled, his voice gravelly. Hank obliged, turning down the intensity on the lamp. Remy sat up and the other mutant didn't try to stop him.  
  
"How are you feeling, Gambit?" he asked.  
  
Remy flexed his muscles. "Surprisin'ly good for wakin' up in de infirmary." He stood. "Fact, Remy tinks he could run a marathon or sometin right about now." Then he looked around the infirmary. Hank looked very tired, even sad, and there were used beds that were now empty.   
  
"Logan gave you almost four pints of blood--you match his type. You're the only one who woke up." Hank gestured. "We lost one," he said quietly. Gambit's mouth opened in shock.  
  
"Qui?" His voice quavered.  
  
Hank's catlike eyes watered slightly; he removed his spectacles to wipe his eyes. "I can't even say it," he said. "Next door in the morgue."  
  
Remy shuddered as he entered the next room. The body had a sheet over it, but it was smaller, more feminine...he walked to her. Tugging the cover back, he gasped. He dropped the edge of the sheet and backed away from the body, not believing his eyes. Then he bumped into something that moved. Turning, he saw Wolverine.  
  
"I came to see if you were gonna make it, kid," the older mutant said quietly. Tears stood out in Remy's eyes. "I see you've found out."  
  
Gambit cried out and threw himself into his friend's arms. Logan was shocked, but returned the embrace. Remy wasn't an emotive man; but then, his girlfriend had just died. The two friends held each other for a long time. "You're gonna be okay, Remy. Ya need time, that's all. It heals all wounds."   
  
Remy drew back, and his glowing red eyes searched Logan's face. "Why, homme? Why'd she die?" Logan shook his head.  
  
"I don't know, bro. But I'm here for you, okay?"  
  
The younger mutant nodded and turned away, looking at the still form under the white sheet. "Je ne t'oublierai jamais, ma chérie." //I'll never forget you, my love.// He touched her forehead through the linen, and then walked away hurriedly. Logan double-timed to keep up to the Cajun's rapid stride.  
  
"Where ya goin', Remy?"  
  
"De Danger Room."  
  
Logan put his hand on the other mutant's shoulder. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea, you just getting out of the infirmary and all...and having such a shock..."  
  
Gambit whirled on Logan, and his eyes glowed more brightly than usual, lighting his entire face in a demonic red aura. "Ne touche moi, Logan!" he cried. "Remy needs to work some trucs out." Logan stood there in the corridor as Gambit stalked away from him, trench coat floating out behind him like a cape. Logan shook his head and went upstairs; there was nothing more he could do at the moment. 


	2. The Arrival

Chapter 2  
  
Part I  
  
Nightcrawler lowered his sweatshirt hood to let the gate scan his retina, and pressed his hand to the palm pad. "Wagner, Kurt, positively identified. Identify guest."  
  
"Jensen, Dana. Nickname is Dice. Unaffiliated mutant." Kurt's clipped German accent didn't trouble the machine for a moment; its fuzzy logic circuits were fully capable of handling far worse.  
  
"Requesting approval from the Professor. Please wait, Nightcrawler. And welcome home."  
  
Dice huddled against him, nervous. "It's all right, Fräulein. This is home. I hope you feel the same way soon." He gave her a grin. "The Professor made me promise that I would to stop teleporting inside the gates...I have to register and be a good boy like everyone else." That made her smile and then the gates swung open. Kurt offered the crook of his elbow and she took it gratefully.  
  
"Please see Professor Xavier at your earliest convenience," the gate murmured. Kurt nodded.  
  
"We will get you cleaned up first," he said to Dice. "A hot shower will do you a world of good, da?"  
  
"Won't that make your Professor angry? Being kept waiting like that?"  
  
Nightcrawler chuckled and tapped his cobalt temple with a clawed finger. "He knows everything that goes on up here. He will be perfectly contented for to wait. It's what he does best."  
  
Part II  
  
"Fuck!" Gambit cried out as a shred of metal tore into his arm. To his amazement, the wound sealed itself and vanished. He had been in the Danger Room for two hours, and his body was protesting the abuse after spending nearly two days in a coma. Sweat ran down his body in rivulets, drenching his close-fitted jeans and t-shirt. His trench coat lay on a peg outside the door, with his cards and staff. He was fighting the machines in the Danger Room hand to hand, and wasn't faring all that well. His rage and grief blinded him, and more often than not tears mingled with the sweat on his cheeks.  
  
"You're gonna undo all the good work I did, Cajun." He turned as all the devices powered down. Logan leaned against the door with a sad, tired look on his face. "You're gonna keep healing the way I do for prolly a day or so more, since we replaced about half your blood with mine." Wolverine held out a bare arm; there was still a little bit of bruising around the insertion point for the needle. It had obviously taken a lot out of Logan, if the site was still bruised.  
  
"How long I been down here?" Gambit asked, panting.   
  
"Too long." Logan offered him a towel. Remy took it gratefully and dried his dripping flesh. "Get a shower, Rems. You reek of hospital and sweat. You'll feel better, I promise." Remy nodded obediently. Some of the rage had been sapped by combat, and it left only cold and sorrow in its place. He picked up his coat and ambled upstairs to his room, herded gently by his friend.  
  
Part III  
  
Dice was uncomfortable in the dormitories, so Nightcrawler took her to his quarters. "I will get some clean clothes and leave them outside the bathroom door," he said. "If you have need anything, just yell for me." And with that he closed the door to his small apartment and went to scrounge up some clothing for his rescue.   
  
None of the female students were tall enough to loan out. Finally he encountered Storm and asked to borrow some of her clothing. She agreed, and Nightcrawler looked at her for a moment. "What is the matter, my friend?" he asked her.  
  
"Hadn't you heard, Kurt?" She sighed sadly. "Rogue's dead."  
  
His brows rose. "How? When?"  
  
Ororo handed over a bundle of clothing. "Three days ago, we fought a battle and took heavy injuries. Rogue and Gambit were both buried under a fallen building...Hank was able to give him a transfusion from Logan, but Rogue's body wouldn't accept it. She was too weak even to absorb healing from him. She passed last night." Ororo's eyes were damp. "We're going to have a funeral for her tomorrow, if Remy's awake. I had hoped...I had hoped you would be back in time to do the obsequies."  
  
Kurt took her hand. "Of course, of course," he murmured. He kissed her cheek. "Thank you for the clothes, Ororo. There is a young girl who will be very grateful for something clean to wear." He bowed his head and took his leave, though his heart was suddenly heavy with the news.  
  
Dice came out of the shower wrapped in a big, fluffy towel. Leaning out of the bathroom door, she picked up some clothing from the floor and withdrew back into the steaming bathroom to dress. When she emerged, she felt quite refreshed. "Kurt?" she called, and he opened the front door to the small apartment.  
  
"Better?" he asked. "I always find that clean clothes make me feel more human."  
  
Dice looked at him with a smile. "Kurt, nothing could make you more human."  
  
He chuckled softly. "And I would not want it to, my lady." Dice smiled shyly and he offered his arm once more. "We should go to the Professor now, and then we will get for you some lunch. Da? Sound gut?" She nodded.  
  
As they walked down the corridors, she noticed something different. "What's happened, Kurt?" she asked quietly. "You look suddenly very sad."  
  
He patted her hand. "Nothing for to be concerned with. The school...had a loss. While I was gone, one of our own was killed." Dice expressed her condolences, and Kurt felt suddenly much better. Later the Professor would explain that the girl was a broadcasting empath, capable of altering the moods of others slightly.   
  
Part IV  
  
Gambit sat at the dining room table. He appeared almost comatose; he had not spoken for ten minutes. Logan sat beside him, making sure he periodically took the effort to lift his fork to his mouth. The slim, graceful fingers had suddenly lost all their nimbleness, and he kept dropping food before it reached his mouth.   
  
"Why did dis happen, mon ami? Punaise, Logan! She was just de commencer to open up. Rogue and Remy was happy for de first time in our lives. And dis got to go happen." He looked at the glass of water. "Si on buvait quelque chose?" //How about a drink?// Logan obliged, standing and unlocking the drawer at the bottom of a cabinet, and getting out a shot glass.  
  
"Whiskey good?" he asked.  
  
"Non, please. Be dere a gin in de cabinet? Remy could use a bit of a headache." Logan rummaged a bit and produced a half-full bottle of Beefeater. He poured out a shot and Remy tossed it back. "Another, homme."  
  
"Now, don't go getting drunk on me," Logan said as Remy threw back his fifth.  
  
"You'll just carry Remy up to his room and tuck him in like de concerned papa, mon ami. You did it last time dat Remy got too liquored up to walk." Remy took the bottle from Logan. "This idn't gwanna be enough, I be fearin'. What else is there besides whiskey?"  
  
Logan shrugged. "About a third of a bottle of Leestown bourbon back there, I think." He couldn't believe he was helping his best friend get sloshed, but Logan knew that sometimes imbibing a little was a temporary fix. And temporary fixes are what human beings are about. Logan never stayed drunk for long; his hyped-up immune system flushed whatever he threw at it. But he knew the feeling.  
  
Remy was all but passed out on the table when Nightcrawler came in with someone Logan had never seen--or smelled--before. Kurt wrinkled up his nose slightly.  
  
"Well, I see Remy is awake...if not for very long." Logan nodded.  
  
"If you want to get the kid some dinner, I can drag him upstairs and put him to bed."  
  
Dice shook her head. "No, don't. I don't mind. Really."  
  
Logan shrugged and pried the bottle of Balvenie from Remy's fingers. He wiped the top and took a swig. Kurt rolled his eyes and busied himself fetching Dice something to eat.  
  
"I'm Logan. And my inebriated friend here is Remy. In his sober moments he's Cajun; right now he's just dead drunk." Dice shook his hand and he noticed she wore gloves. He looked at her a moment, curious.  
  
"My name's Dana...friends call me Dice. Well, back when I still had friends," she amended, lamenting.  
  
Kurt spoke up, sensing the discomfort between them. "Dice was expelled from school for knocking a boy unconscious. The Professor thinks she will be able to control her absorption if she works on her telepathic skills."  
  
"If ya don't mind my askin', where'd you come from?"  
  
Dice sighed. "I'm originally from Georgia, though six years in a White Plains private school got rid of my molasses drawl. I've been wandering the streets of the town for about a year and a half now, since Mom and Dad cut off my funds."  
  
Logan nodded. "Well, we're glad to have you here." He looked at Remy, who was nodding, though not necessarily in agreement. "It's a bit of a bad time for us, ya see, or we'd be a better welcoming committee."  
  
Kurt set a plate in front of her. "Thanks so much, Kurt," she said shyly. He nodded.  
  
Remy looked up finally, squinting. "Tu es la depuis quand? Je ne comprends pas! Logan, Remy be too drunk, homme. He be seeing tings dat just ain't dere." He looked at the Scotch in Logan's hand. "Don't drink dat, frere. Is poison ou quelque chose."   
  
"Did you understand a half of that, Logan?" Kurt asked.  
  
Logan was looking at Remy and Dice very oddly. "He wants to know how long she's been here...says he doesn't understand. Remy thinks he's too drunk and seeing things."  
  
Remy reached out a plaintive hand to Dice. "Come back to Remy, amour. He do anything."  
  
Dice was distinctly uncomfortable. "What?"  
  
Kurt and Logan looked at their sobbing, drunken comrade. "Rogue!" Remy sobbed, burying his head in his hands.  
  
"He's so drunk he thinks Dice is Rogue," Kurt said.   
  
Logan looked at her. "Well, she's got that red-brown hair...and them green eyes. I can kinda see it."  
  
Remy was practically blubbering. "Tu ripped Remy's heart out, Rogue! Mais Remy came back...and den you leave again..."  
  
Logan felt bad for his friend. "I shouldn't let him embarrass himself like this," he said, standing. "I'm going to take him to bed. Nice to meet you, Dice." She nodded and Logan scooped up Remy like a sleepy child, cradling him close so he wouldn't risk dropping the lolling Cajun. "Come on, Rems. Walkies and nappies."  
  
Kurt sighed. Dice looked at him. "It hurts to look at him, Kurt," she whispered. For the first time he noticed she was trembling. "He's in so much pain..."  
  
"Remy is a functioning empath, Dice," Kurt said softly, touching her hand. "When he's sober he'll have shielding up. You'll be protected from his grief." He looked after the other mutants, long gone down the hallway. "But for tonight I think he needed to dull his senses." 


	3. Power

Chapter 3  
  
Part I  
  
Dice tossed restlessly in her bed. She was having the most awful dreams...  
  
Finally she stood and went downstairs to get a glass of water. She drained the glass, set it in the sink, and turned off the lights. That's when the pain started. It was like the most all-consuming headache she'd ever had, but it wasn't a physical pain. Dice stumbled blindly toward the stairs, and at that moment her only guiding principal was stopping the pain. Her empathic senses led her upstairs, past the room she'd been given, to the top floor.   
  
//It's not the fall that kills you. It's that sudden...//  
  
"Stop!" she screamed, collapsing against a door. She looked up; the placard read "R. LeBeau." There was no answer to her furious pounding, so she tried the knob. Unlocked. Dice pushed her way in.  
  
The room was dark. She could see no one, but felt a presence. Stumbling through the darkness, she found herself at the open window. Remy sat on the roof of the lower floor, his crimson eyes shining aggressively into the night, competing with the glow of his cigarette. He was no longer drunk, nor even particularly hung over, thanks to Logan's mutated blood cells swirling around his body. From time to time he looked at the ground and at his cigarette.   
  
//When I finish this.//  
  
Dice had never heard thoughts before; only emotions had ever been transmitted to her. She crawled out of the window and onto the ledge. "Don't do it," she said softly, sitting beside him.  
  
"Et why not?" he looked at her. "I be a lovesick fool, girlie. And I done embarrassed myself for de last time."  
  
"Did it ever occur to you that people would miss you too? And that two funerals in one week is too much for any family, however nontraditional, to bear?" Dice looked at him earnestly.  
  
He shrugged. "Nobody care so much about Remy. He not very useful to de cause. Dey be okay when he's gone."  
  
Dice rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say. I'm just the new kid. Anyway, could you go ahead and do whatever it is you're going to do? Jump or go back to bed. 'Cuz you're making my head hurt."  
  
Remy looked at her curiously. "Quoi?"  
  
"I can feel your emotions," she said softly. "And just a moment ago I heard your thoughts. You wanted to finish one last cigarette before ending it all."   
  
Remy's eyes narrowed slightly, with suspicion or something similar. "Do de others know you got dis power?"  
  
"Professor Xavier says I'm a broadcasting empath. I can alter other people's moods the way he can influence their wills...it's imperfect at best." She shrugged. "It works okay, I guess. But it's a damnable thing. That and the fact that for about a year I couldn't touch anybody."  
  
"Why not?" Remy trembled as he asked the question.  
  
"Oh, see, I have what the Professor calls absorption capabilities. I've gotten pretty good with them, actually. I can project a field about three feet in any direction, and I can usually keep it from happening when I don't want it to."   
  
Remy inhaled suddenly, shuddering. A tear raced its lonely way down his cheek. "Dieu," he whispered. And then he looked at her. It was her turn to shudder as those hellish eyes focused on her. She had seen some strange things--not the least of which was her benefactor, Kurt--but she knew what was going on behind those eyes. It hurt her, deep down, to be near him. But it also hurt her to even think of leaving him alone in his pain. She was stuck.  
  
"I can help you, Remy," she whispered. "I can make it go away for a little while, if you want. Better than alcohol or drugs."  
  
He blinked, and his voice was heavy with tears. "How would you do that?" he asked.  
  
She slipped off her thin cotton gloves and took his face in her hands. "Close your eyes and be still," she murmured. He obeyed. Dice awoke her powers from their dormant state and coaxed just the ones she wanted forward. It was like visualizing a game board, moving the pieces to the positions she wanted and leaving the others out of play. Xavier had admired her control mechanisms, though they were imperfect.  
  
Remy gasped sharply, almost painfully, when she activated her powers. For a moment they shared an image from memory; Rogue draining Remy nearly dry the first time he tried to kiss her. "I won't hurt you," Dice said softly, one thumb stroking his cheek reassuringly.   
  
And then it was gone. Everything. The pain, the grief, the thoughts of suicide. All gone. Remy opened his eyes.  
  
"It won't last," Dice said, and there were tears in her voice now. Her mind was shedding the excess emotion rapidly, producing a visible discharge from her skin. It produced a palely glowing aura around her body, which vanished momentarily. "I absorbed everything I could find, but it will be back."   
  
Remy nodded, taking the hand from his cheek and kissing the back of it. "Thank you, Dice," he said. "Thank you so much." She nodded and stood.  
  
"I'm going back to bed, Remy," she said. "I would suggest you do the same. Tomorrow is another day."  
  
Part II-Rites  
  
"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust." Kurt raised a hand to toss the first handful onto Rogue's casket. The Xavier family plot had grown substantially in recent years, to include his "extended" family as well. Rogue's teammates stood beside the grave silently. "Would someone like to say a few words?" Kurt asked quietly. "Remy?"  
  
//I feel so numb. What did Dice do to me?//  
  
He raised his head. "All right. I make dis short, cuz Remy be no public speaker." That brought a few grim smiles. "Everybody knows dat Rogue and I had a thing going. I's not sure exactly what dat was, but it was goin' pretty good. Rogue could never be close to anybody, physically or emotionally. She exiled herself as a lone wolf. De Professor can tell you, she was no easy beast to tame. De X-Men resisted letting dis wild creature loose among dem, but I tink it came out for the best. We are all better for having known her." He waved a hand slightly. "Dat's all I can tink of to say," he amended apologetically. Everyone nodded.  
  
Kurt touched his shoulder. "That was very gut, Remy. Anyone else?" No one could think of anything to say. Finally Logan stepped forward.  
  
"We all loved Rogue, even when we hated her," he said softly. "She was scarred more deeply than any of us, I think. But I think it's appropriate to keep this short. She wouldn't have wanted us to stand around sniveling for too long. We have work to do, she'd say. Go on with life." He looked around and stepped back uneasily. Kurt nodded.  
  
"If that is all, we will say a prayer for our companion." The assembled mutants bowed their heads. "Father, who art in all things wise and judicious, we do not perhaps understand why you chose to take our beloved Rogue away. But those who knew her will never forget her, and we thank you for that lasting imprint. Receive our friend into your bosom and bless her. Her life was short but meaningful, and we thank you also for the time you gave us with her. Help us with our grief and let us heal. Amen."  
  
"Amen."  
  
The X-Men turned away in unison and walked back towards the mansion. 


	4. Ace of Spades

Chapter 4  
  
Part I  
  
Dice had a day to herself, since she could hardly expect the entire Institute to drop what it was doing for her. She explored the grounds for some time, acquainting herself with the property. The school was mostly empty--at least the part she saw. Downstairs the X-Men were having a briefing. All of the adult mutants were there. Some of the children were out on a field trip, and the rest had been lucky enough to go home for the summer. More and more of Xavier's students were being sent by caring parents, who wanted their children to be in command of their powers. In the past his enrollment was almost always runaways, or castaways like Dice.  
  
She found herself sitting on a bench outside with one of Kurt's books. He was an avid reader of Christian literature, but his sci-fi collection was also rather impressive. Dice hadn't been able to do much reading on the streets. She basked in the sun and lazily read her way through a Nebula Awards collection. Suddenly the wind picked up, rifling her hair and the pages of the book. She looked up as a long, thin black shape rose into the sky and vanished. Dice was shocked for a moment, mouth open.  
  
Part II  
  
When the time had come to decide who would go and who would stay at the mansion, everyone looked at Remy. He was sitting at the end of the table, and had been playing idly with his cards during the entire briefing. Remy stared through the table as he shuffled. He looked up at the silence to find everyone staring at him. "Quoi?" he asked softly.   
  
Remy stood to leave; he were no longer needed in the meeting. As he walked out, Logan looked down at the table where he'd been sitting. A single playing card lay there, face down, and he picked it up. The Ace of spades; the card of Death. Logan swallowed and turned it back over.  
  
Part III  
  
Dice asked about the jet; Xavier thought she took the news rather well. As she walked away, she stopped and turned back.  
  
"Um...Professor?"  
  
He looked up at her. "Yes?"  
  
She hesitated; the tips of her ears flushed pink. "I, I was wondering. Uh, it's been a while since I left school. But at Agecroft I was the fencing champion. I...I'm really rusty."  
  
Xavier chuckled. "We have a few students interested in swordplay, my dear." He smiled fondly; fencing had been one of his favorite diversions as a young man, before he lost the use of his legs. "And...is there anything else?"  
  
"I could use some practice to bring me back up to speed on my hand-to-hand. Since you seem to have an abundance of combat-ready residents here, that shouldn't be a problem."  
  
Charles tilted his head curiously. "Which disciplines?"  
  
She blushed very prettily. "Well, tae kwon do and Chinese kickboxing, mostly."  
  
"Very impressive, Dana." He made a gesture that Dana didn't quite know how to interpret. "You're very modest about your abilities. But I think with some time and refinement, you could be a very valuable addition to our team."   
  
"I...I think I'd like that, Professor Xavier."  
  
Part IV  
  
Remy sat on the couch in the rec room, swirling his fingertip around the lip of a glass. It shrieked shrilly, reverberating under his hand. Rogue would've taken it away from him.  
  
"How old are ya, Sugah? That you gotta do kiddie shit like that?"  
  
He lit a cigarette and sat back on the couch. The television muttered across the room; he had no idea what was on. Remy sucked hard on the cigarette and tapped ash into his empty glass. He finished it quickly and lit another from the butt--he had never been much of a chain smoker, but at the moment it seemed appropriate. The numbness was beginning to wear off.  
  
"Now Remy, you know I don't like smoking in the house," Xavier chided gently. Remy looked up.  
  
"Oui." He stubbed the cigarette out on the back of his hand. Xavier flinched slightly, but Remy seemed unaffected by the pain. It left a small black circle on his hand. A slight tang of burned flesh rose into the air; Xavier's nostrils quivered.  
  
"Are you going to let me in, Remy?"  
  
"J'ai besoin d'aide, Prof." //I need help.// "Mais Remy don't want to let you inside his head, see."  
  
Xavier nodded. "Your shielding indicates as much. I have always been at a loss when it comes to accessing your mind." He cocked his head slightly. "What are you afraid of, Remy? What do you think I'll do to you?"  
  
"Nothing, Prof." Gambit fidgeted. Charles smiled sadly; Remy was never still. "I'm not afraid of you. Vrai, I know what you could do to me. You could leave Remy drooling et counting his toes for excitement." He looked at Xavier, who shivered slightly. The younger mutant's eyes had changed over the years, and now the black sclera were nearly invisible around the glowing red irises. "Dat might not be so bad, considering. But I's more afraid of what de good Prof might see, neh?"  
  
Xavier nodded. "I understand, Remy. It won't hurt to talk, though." He seemed distracted for a moment. "Something happened last night. With Dice."  
  
Remy leaned back into the cushions with a sigh. "Oui. She came to my room." He looked at Xavier defiantly. "I was going to kill myself." But the Professor said nothing. "I was sitting on de edge of de roof, feelin' sorry for myself. She couldn't sleep--said she could feel what I was feelin'. Heard my thoughts, when she got closer. Dat be some freaky shit, Prof. De girl's so young...and she be too much like my Rogue for my comfort, ne c'est pas?"  
  
"There are certainly parallels."  
  
"Dere be more dan parallels, Prof. Those eyes!" Remy chewed his lip. "And she offered to make it all go away for a while. I couldn't say no...I was hurtin' too bad, see. She took de gloves off and touched me."   
  
"She didn't hurt you."  
  
"Non. She, she can control de power, can't she?" Xavier nodded. "I thought so. Damn. But I had dis flash. I tried to kiss Rogue dat one time, when I had dat dream, you remember? And I watched my body dying. She din't know what was going on, couldn't get away from me...It hurt, Prof. It hurt so bad." He shuddered powerfully, then forced himself out of his seat.  
  
"And you've been hurt by the ones you love before."  
  
"Oui. Not on purpose, non. Jean-Luc tried his best. Et...mais non. I don't want to talk about it, Prof."  
  
"I understand." Xavier looked up at him kindly. "You're a little better now. I can tell. I think you're going to be all right, Remy, if you just let us help you."  
  
"I don't want to die anymore, if that's what you mean..." Remy looked pained. "What about Dice? I. I mean, de girl needs friends, Prof. She wants to be my friend. But I don' know."  
  
Xavier smiled. "I think you and Dice can help each other, Remy. I really do. Don't shut her out because she brings up old memories. Sometimes being reminded of things is the best way to deal with them."  
  
Remy shook his head slightly. "I try to keep dat in mind, Prof." 


	5. The Iceman Cometh

Chapter 5  
  
Part I  
  
Bobby Drake parked his silver Kawasaki Ninja in the garage and set his helmet on the seat. The house computer system welcomed him.  
  
"Welcome home, Iceman. Blue Team and Excalibur are currently away."  
  
He acknowledged and took the lift to the main level. Bobby shouldered his duffel as the lift stopped and stepped out; he had three flights of stairs to climb to his loft apartment, but he shrugged it off--it wasn't worth walking to the other elevator, in his opinion. He liked stairs. When he was climbing a staircase he didn't have to engage his brain. Midway up the first flight, he heard the sound of ice clinking in a glass.   
  
Bobby peeked around the corner into the rec room. "Hey, Remy," he said softly. He'd heard the bad news; how was Gambit doing?  
  
"Allo, Bobby. Comment vas-tu?"  
  
"I'm good. Hey, hook me up with some of that?" He gestured at the bottle. Remy nodded and took out a second glass.  
  
"Ice, ami?" Remy smirked slightly.  
  
Bobby chuckled. "Sure, man." Remy dropped a handful of cubes into the glass and poured the amber-colored liquor over them. Bobby took it from him.  
  
"How's it going, Rems?" he asked quietly.  
  
Remy sighed. "Le's just say dis is de only bottle left in de liquor cabinet, Chill." Bobby nodded, settling onto a stool.  
  
"You wanna talk about it?"  
  
"Non."  
  
"Okay."  
  
They drank in silence for a moment. Then Bobby heard footsteps approach; Dice came into the bar half of the rec room. "Hey." She picked up a glass and went for some orange juice and seltzer from the bar.  
  
"Bobby, dis is Dice. Kurt brought her home de other day." Dice offered her hand and Bobby shook it with a smile.   
  
"Nice to meet you, Bobby." She smiled pleasantly. "If I may ask, what's your power?" Bobby took her glass and held it for a moment. Then he handed it back. "Oh, it's cold!" she exclaimed. He grinned.  
  
"We call Bobby de Iceman, Dice." Remy's lip quirked.   
  
"Well, I've got to get back to Ororo...we're gonna go shopping as soon as Dr. McCoy says she's clear to leave." She gave Remy and Bobby a parting smile and left.  
  
Bobby whistled. "Wow, she's hot. A little tall for my taste, but that's no deal breaker."  
  
Remy looked at him. "Really too bad dat she's so young, den," he said softly.  
  
"She's legal, right?"  
  
"Just barely." Remy swirled his glass. "Be careful, Bobby. Don't get burned. She got absorption powers, dat one. Might decide she don't like you et bang, you're in de infirmary."  
  
"Wait, what?"  
  
Remy grinned tightly, baring his teeth. "She suck de life out of you, Fraiche. Et aussi she know what you feel. So watch it. Maybe she make you tink you like boys."  
  
"Thanks for the advice, bro. But I can take care of myself." He tossed back the last of his liquid courage and followed Dice's exit path.  
  
Part II  
  
Hank felt Ororo's leg with a gentle touch. "You should be fine. Just go easy on the ankle. Nothing broken, but we don't want to risk it." She nodded.  
  
The infirmary door slid open. "Hey, Hank. Ororo. How's it going?"  
  
"Good, Bobby." Ororo stood and rolled her down her jeans. "When did you get in?"  
  
"Just a little while ago. Dice says you girls are going shopping?"  
  
Dice smiled shyly. "I don't want to keep borrowing Ororo's clothes. I haven't got any of my own, except what I came in wearing...and those are pretty tattered."  
  
They took one of the cars; Bobby volunteered to drive. He pointed out his motorcycle to Dice, who seemed suitably impressed.   
  
"Where would you like to go?" Ororo asked.  
  
"Well, I've always been fond of Target."  
  
"Now, cost's no object," Ororo said quietly.  
  
"No, really."  
  
Bobby smiled. "Target it is. Maybe I can get some new Scooby-Doo boxers." That got the desired laugh from the ladies.  
  
When they got there, Ororo excused herself to the restroom, leaving Bobby and Dice alone. "I know what you're trying to do, Bobby."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"You're interested in me. You think I'm attractive. A new conquest, if you will. You're the clown and the playboy of the group." Her green eyes blazed into his; Bobby felt a shiver of heat and was suddenly very aware that they were in public.  
  
"What are you doing to me?" he asked, gasping.  
  
Dice blinked. "What?" Then she rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I'm...I'm sorry. Forgive me. It, well, it happens sometimes. I'm not quite in control of myself."  
  
Bobby smiled suggestively. "No one is, Dice," he murmured.  
  
"Stop it, Bobby." She looked away from him uncomfortably.  
  
"Just tell me you really don't want me to mess with you, Dice, and I'll stop," he said. "But I think you don't want me to stop."  
  
Her eyes flashed. "You're right, Bobby. I like the attention. You're a handsome man. But you know that, don't you."  
  
Bobby shrugged. "Some have said that."  
  
"I'm a writer by nature, Bobby. I observe life; I don't live it."  
  
"Maybe you should try it," he breathed, moving closer to her. She inhaled sharply, and he felt a sudden rush.   
  
"Please don't, Bobby."  
  
He stepped back as Ororo came back toward them. "Where do you want to look first, Dice?" she asked, and Dice walked away from Bobby with her, casting a dark look at him.  
  
Part III  
  
Dice folded her new clothes and put them away, with Ororo's help. "Well, if you don't need me anymore, I'm going to go work on some things. Dinner's at six thirty."  
  
"Thanks," Dice said.  
  
She stood by the dresser for a minute, staring through the drawers. Then she felt a presence and turned around. It was Remy.  
  
"Hey, fille."  
  
"Hi, Remy. How are you?"  
  
"D'accord, I think. De numbness wore off. But I'm gwan make it." He leaned against the door frame. "How 'bout you?"  
  
"Good."  
  
"Bobby tried to put de moves on you. I warned him, but de boy never listen."  
  
"I can handle it, I'm a big girl. But thank you." She crossed her arms and leaned against the bureau. "When he flirts with me...I know what he's trying to do. I can't help but respond. And...I'm not really in control of my powers emotionally. I think I accidentally aroused him."  
  
Remy laughed. "He deserves it. De Chill, he a dog." The Cajun shook his head. "He had to learn it all, you know. Remy got lucky. Part of my mutation is de power to charm."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Oh, yeah."  
  
Dice looked at him. "That sounds like a useful power..." But she was skeptical. "Show me."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
He closed the door behind him; the whole mansion didn't need to know about this little demonstration. Dice felt suddenly warm, and he insinuated himself gracefully into her personal space. "Mm, Dice," he murmured, inhaling her scent. "Je te desire. Has anyone ever told you dat you are incredibly beautiful?" He ran a hand down through her hair, pressing his forehead against hers.  
  
"Je crois que je tombe amoureuse, Dice."   
  
She looked at him; her eyes were dark and she was breathing heavily. "Oh, Remy," she gasped.  
  
Remy pulled back suddenly. "I need to stop now," he said, turning away.  
  
"I'm sorry! I...I didn't mean to..."  
  
"No. It's not your fault." He rubbed his forehead. "I went too far. You're very powerful, Dice. I think if you work on it you could use de empathic abilities you've got to do amazing tings." Remy wouldn't meet her eyes.  
  
"What's wrong, Remy?"  
  
Finally, he turned back towards her. Sweat had beaded on his lip and forehead. //She's too much like her...I should go, she's too young, we're vulnerable right now...I meant it too much...//   
  
"I be fine, really. I just..."  
  
Dice crossed the distance and took his hand. "I know you're hurting, Remy. I should not have asked." She looked into his eyes; Remy swallowed hard. "But I want you to know, Remy, that I can sense something in you. It fascinates me. I...find myself strangely attracted to you."  
  
He found himself leaning closer. //I wish this was real.//  
  
//It's real enough.// Remy heard the voice whisper in his head just as Dice leaned up to kiss him.  
  
There was a knock at the door. They parted quickly, and Dice opened the door to see Bobby standing outside. "Hey, kid," he said. "Oh, hi Rems. I just came to get you for dinner, Dice." She nodded and they followed him out.  
  
Bobby dropped back beside Remy. "Dude, you got lip gloss on your mouth." Remy wiped at it. "If you don't want me on your turf that's cool...I just thought you'd need some time, man. It's only been a few days."  
  
Remy looked at him angrily. "It's not like that, Chill. You know as well as I do dat she got some kinda power...I still in love wit Rogue, even though she gone. Don't even suggest dat I'm not."  
  
Bobby glanced at Dice, who had kept walking. "Yeah. Seriously gave me a boner at Target. We better watch out. She's a man-eater."  
  
Part IV  
  
"Professor, have you got a few minutes?"  
  
"Of course, my dear." Dice walked beside his chair. "What's bothering you?"  
  
Dice chewed her lip. "It's really hard to explain. Can I just show you?"  
  
He nodded. Dice knelt beside him and let him place his fingertips on her forehead. She opened her shielding and let him inside. "Ah, I see," he said. "That is a problem."  
  
"What worries me, Professor, is that I kind of enjoy the feeling of power. And...and I really am attracted to Remy."  
  
"I'll work with you, Dice. I've helped people with far less control become totally in command. We'll find a way for you to wield your powers when and where you want." She thanked him. "Get some rest tonight. You're tired, and that makes it worse." 


	6. What is Love?

Chapter 6  
  
Part I  
  
Dice slept very peacefully, undisturbed by the minds of others.   
  
Not everyone in the mansion shared her peaceful slumber. Remy tossed and turned in his bed, his mind bombarding him with vivid images.  
  
//"Come on in, Sugah."   
  
"Are you decent, cherie?"  
  
"Nah." She pushed open the bathroom door; she was naked and her auburn hair trailed heavily down her back. "Grab me a towel, Remy."  
  
"D'accord." He handed her a towel and she dried herself before dressing. She pulled on her gloves and looked at Remy, who was watching her. He was fascinated, as one would be by a beautiful sculpture, and also aroused.   
  
"Are you wearin' gloves, Sugah?" she asked, pressing her body against his. He nodded. "Good." She pulled his hands to the unbuttoned collar of her shirt. She kissed him quickly; short skin-to-skin contact couldn't hurt him. If they did it enough, he would be weakened, so she was always very careful.  
  
Her gloved hand slipped past his waistband. "Remy, Ah want you so much it hurts," she whispered.  
  
"I feel the same way," he said, yelping slightly. "Ah, ah! Rogue..."  
  
She kissed him again, breaking the contact as soon as she felt the tickle of his psyche against hers. "Fate's cruel, lover," she said, caressing his heated flesh. "Ah almost wish I didn't have any powers at all, just so Ah could feel you for real."//  
  
Remy opened his eyes and found that he was crying. He wiped his eyes angrily. "Stop it, Cajun," he growled at himself. He rolled over and grabbed the pillow aggressively, tugging it to himself. Rogue wouldn't want him to be crying like a baby. By sheer force of will, he went back to sleep. He knew it wouldn't last.  
  
Dice woke to a knock on her door. "Come in," she said hazily, barely awake.  
  
It was too dark to see who it was, but he turned and Dice saw the raging red eyes. "Remy?"  
  
"Sorry to wake you, fille. I couldn't sleep. I thought mebbe you could help me again."  
  
She sat up. "I don't know if I should, Remy." He sat beside her on the bed.  
  
"I know dat what happened before dinner was really etrange, Dice. But de dreams I's having..." He leaned back against the headboard. "I just want to sleep tonight. Dat's all I ask," he choked; he had begun to cry. Dice put her arms around him.   
  
"I want to help you, Remy. But I'm afraid."  
  
"We're all afraid of our powers, Dice. Dat's why we don't try to rule de world." He closed his eyes. Just her mere presence made him feel better; her subconscious was producing soothing telepathic impulses.   
  
Dice was struggling with herself. On the one hand she was concerned and sympathetic, and that was the part she was hoping would take over. But she was in her underwear, holding a man whose bare chest was heaving with tears. He could have been a model, she thought idly. Remy was handsome and athletic, and she felt almost like swooning when his powerful arms encircled her. "Remy...I'm not doing it again, am I?"  
  
"Non. All I feel is...calm."  
  
She nodded. "That's a good sign," she said softly, stroking his back comfortingly. "What did you say, today?"  
  
"Quoi?"  
  
"You said je crois que je...something."  
  
He pulled back slightly. "Je crois que je tombe amoureuse."  
  
"Yeah, that was it."  
  
Remy chewed his lip. "I...de moment ran away wit me. It means, 'I tink I am falling in love.'"   
  
"But you didn't mean it."  
  
"I don't know."  
  
Dice nodded, leaning her head on his shoulder. "My mom used to tell me there were lots of kinds of love, Remy. There was family love, which she said she had for me. But when I turned out to be a freak she abandoned me." Her tone was bitter, and Remy's arms tightened around her. "There was friendly love, like you and Logan have; I saw him carry you to your room the other night. And then there was romantic love. I don't have any of those, Remy. I don't really know how to love anymore."  
  
"I want to be your friend, Dice. I just afraid I might not be able to stop dere."  
  
"Afraid?"  
  
He nodded. "You're a great kid, Dice. I can tell. Et any other time, I might be interested. But my heart say it be ready to love again, when my head say non."  
  
"I understand. I always did have bad timing," she said bitterly.  
  
"But if you came earlier, Dice, I would not leave Rogue for you. So mebbe your timing was just right." He stroked her hair softly with one hand. "I feel better now...et you din't even have to use your power."  
  
"I did, Remy. I...not on purpose. But I did the same thing to Kurt, when he heard about Rogue. He said he suddenly felt better. I altered your emotions. It's an invasion, Remy. I want to learn how to stop it."  
  
"E's a gift, Dice. You learn to control it, and you could be incroyable. I believe you could do anyting." Remy pulled back, holding her face gently in his hands. "I tink dat I be a fool, Dice. I don' know if it's because you be like Rogue, or because I in pain...but I feel plus better when I around you." He kissed her cheek, and then the other. "I can' go back to my room, Dice. De dreams attack me. Can I stay?"  
  
The two mutants curled up together and were soon asleep.  
  
Part II  
  
"Nothing happened."  
  
"Did you want it to?"  
  
Dice looked at the window. "Not really. I...I know I'm scarred, Professor. I want to love someone, and I'm afraid I don't know how. Remy is willing to return whatever I want to give him."  
  
"He's letting you decide the nature of your relationship. And you know that your influence over him is not as strong as with others, because of his own powers." Professor Xavier considered. "I can't give you advice on your love life, Dana. It's not my place. But give yourself time, and give Remy some time. And in a while, if it still seems right, maybe it is. You need to be entirely sure of yourself, and he needs to heal. I think you can help each other."  
  
"I thought you could help me."  
  
"I might be able to. But you've bonded very quickly to Remy. And I know I can't help him. I want to find a solution that will aid everyone."  
  
"Why won't he let you help him?" Dice sat on the edge of the desk.  
  
"He's afraid to let me see what is in his mind. And I'm not good with emotions, Dana. My grasp of the mind is more scientific in nature. You, on the other hand, are an empath like I've never seen. If it weren't for your absorption powers, you might never have realized you were a mutant. I can see you as a therapist." He smiled. "Oh, and I talked Jubilee into helping you customize a program in the Danger Room. It will let you train in hand-to-hand and swordsmanship, even when no one's here."  
  
Part II  
  
"Hey, bro. Where were you this morning?"  
  
"Quoi?"  
  
"I came by your room this morning and you weren't there."  
  
Remy's eyes were wary. "Does it matter?"  
  
Bobby looked at him for a moment. "You weren't."  
  
His friend looked away. "It wasn't like that."  
  
"You slept with her!"  
  
"Slept. Oui. It was rien, Chill. I couldn't sleep...she has dis power to alter emotions, neh? She made me feel better so de dreams went away."  
  
Bobby rolled his eyes. "Right. Whatever you want to call it, dude. I don't resent you needing a rebound relationship. Just leave me some. I don't mind sloppy seconds."  
  
Remy's eyes sparked, and the tips of his fingers glowed slightly. "You're my ami, Bobby. But you make me tres angry. Watch it."  
  
Jubilee walked into the kitchen and got a mug from the draining board. "What's going on, boys?"  
  
"Rien."  
  
"Nothing." The two men exchanged a glance.  
  
"Hey, the Professor wants me to help Dice write a program in the Danger Room. You guys wanna come?" She sipped her coffee.   
  
Part III  
  
"How are you doing this?" Dice asked softly.  
  
The Professor raised his epee and saluted her, sliding into a fighting stance. "It's a combination of holographic images, androids, and telepathy," he said. "My image is projected over a robot, and I control it with my mind. En garde."  
  
She slipped into position. "Attack me."  
  
He nodded; a balestra and a fleche later, they stood apart again. "Fencing was always one of my favorite sports," he said as she lunged. He mal-parried and raised his sword to call a halt. "You're rather good, considering you haven't fenced in over a year. Champion, you said?"  
  
"Captain of the school team and State Champion--Girls." He nodded.  
  
They went back and forth for several minutes, neither landing a hit. Finally, Dice pushed his blade aside and touched him with the tip of her epee. "A beautiful froissement," he said, applauding. She thanked him, and they bowed formally. "Now the Danger Room recognizes you, and you can use it any time. And the more you fight here, the more it will learn about you. You can fight yourself once it gets a full profile, and the others can fight you even if you're not available."  
  
"It's amazing."  
  
The hologram disappeared, and the android disappeared into the floor. "Would you like to try some hand-to-hand?" the Professor asked. "We've got several great fighters here."  
  
"Powers?"  
  
"If you like."  
  
"Weapons?"  
  
"Nothing too dangerous." She nodded and went to the knife rack, selecting a number of small throwing blades and sheathing them on her thigh. Then she spotted a row of staffs and bo.  
  
"Does someone fight with the bo?" she asked, surprised.  
  
"Remy does," Jubilee volunteered. He had been watching, silent, the whole time. Dice picked up a bow and beckoned, and he smiled slightly.  
  
"Give me a second to change."  
  
When he came back he was wearing his uniform; utilitarian and black, fitted closely and lightly armored in the chest and back. She tossed him a bo and he took it. "You want me to use powers?" he asked.  
  
"Sure," she said, taking a second bo. They squared off.  
  
Part IV  
  
The Black Bird touched down and vanished underground. Logan and the others arrived back at the mansion with good news and no wounds, just in time for dinner. Dice and Remy were sitting together when Logan walked in, talking quietly.   
  
"Hey, kids. Miss me?"  
  
"Allo, Logan."  
  
"Hi." Dice smiled.  
  
"How's everything? Dice, you settling in okay?" She nodded. "Remy? You making it?" Remy nodded. "Seriously."  
  
"Oui, Logan. I'm fine. I been keeping busy helping Dice feel at home. We fought in de Danger Room." Logan's eyebrows climbed his forehead.  
  
"I trained in Irish stick fighting when I went to visit my mother's family in Foynes." Logan looked impressed. 


	7. The Lady Vanishes

Chapter 7  
  
Part I  
  
For four nights Remy tried to sleep alone, and four times the dreams drove him to Dice's arms. On the fifth night she preempted him.  
  
"Your place or mine?" she asked with a soft smile.   
  
"Yours. Mine smells like stale cigarettes."  
  
She wrinkled up her nose. "Yeah. Sounds good. I'll see you in an hour." He nodded.  
  
Dice had taken to wearing more in the way of pajamas to alleviate her own embarrassment--and Remy's tendency to wake up in the morning with an erection. He would roll away from her hurriedly, ashamed of his body's reaction. He hadn't admitted that was what was going on, but she knew. That she knew probably made it worse.  
  
Remy showed up in his sleep pants and a tank top--similarly trying to diffuse the frustrating sexuality of the situation. He crawled into bed beside her. She snuggled close and he squirmed, rotating his hips away from her. "Sorry."  
  
"Don't be."  
  
Dice lay awake for several minutes after he fell asleep. She and the Professor had been working on her powers for the last few days. It required a conscious effort to ease Remy to sleep, which she found reassuring. She was also more aware of others' emotions than before, recognizing what she otherwise would have simply dealt with unthinkingly. This eased her mind as she fell asleep.  
  
A wordless cry woke her. Remy was arched back, mouth open, now silent. His breath came in quick, pained gasps. Dice was frantic; what was happening? She backed away from him and then she knew. She had lost control in her sleep. Once the contact was broken, Remy fell limply to the floor. "Ohmigod," she gasped. She checked to make sure she was in control of herself, and bent to help Remy.  
  
With strength she had stolen from Remy, she lifted him to his feet. He staggered, but she leaned him against the wall. "Remy. Remy!" She slapped his cheek; he looked at her blearily.  
  
"I didn't mean to, Rogue," he choked. "I had dis dream...don' let me die, Rogue," he gasped. Then he collapsed back to the floor, unconscious. Dice ran for help.  
  
Part II  
  
"He's going to be all right," Hank said. Dice looked at him; tears were rolling down her cheeks.  
  
"I'm going back to bed," Xavier said, "and you should too, Dice." She nodded.  
  
Dice didn't go back to bed. She went to her room and methodically and carefully packed her knapsack. Then she walked down to the foyer. "Val?"  
  
"Yes, Dice?" the computer system asked.  
  
"I'm leaving the property."  
  
"The gate will open when you arrive. Come back soon."  
  
Dice choked. //I wish I could do that.//  
  
With Gambit's power, she moved much more quickly than she expected. It didn't fade, even as night changed over to day in a spectacular sunrise. She found herself in the suburbs of New York City, and made it to Greenwich Village before the sun was fully in the sky. Dice wanted nothing more than to disappear into the mass of people.  
  
Part III  
  
"Dice?" Remy sat up. He was pale and trembling.  
  
"Ah, you're awake." Hank's fuzzy blue form swam into Remy's vision. "I had hoped not to see you back this soon, Gambit."  
  
"Quoi?"  
  
Logan stood nearby. "You gave us a scare, Cajun. Dice lost it in her sleep and almost killed you."  
  
Remy's face tightened. "I don't..." And then he remembered. "Oh, Dieu," he breathed. It was that same pain; like the marrow was being sucked from his bones. And there was nothing he could do but scream, and soon even that was gone. He was locked in a silent rictus of agony. He shivered.   
  
Logan touched his shoulder. "Hey, you're okay," he said.   
  
"Where's Dice?" Remy asked quietly. "Is she all right?"  
  
"The Professor sent her back to bed."  
  
"I want to talk to her. To tell her...to tell her it's okay." Logan nodded and left to find Dice.  
  
"You'll be just fine in an hour or so. She managed to stop herself before she did any real damage." Remy nodded. Hank could see there was no point in talking to him any more.  
  
Logan skidded down the corridor and into the infirmary. "She's gone, Remy."  
  
"Quoi?"  
  
"She's gone! Dice is gone." Remy stood, and Hank tried to stop him.  
  
"Get out of Remy's way, Hank," he growled, his eyes brightening. Power sizzled at his fingertips. Hank stepped back. "We gwan have to wake de Professor." 


	8. Capture

Chapter 8  
  
Part I  
  
The anonymity of the masses eased Dice's distress. She could relax, buoyed by their emotions. A young woman taking her puppy for a walk; a couple in business clothes kissing before the parted for work; a man in a coffee shop pocketing the phone number of another young man. There was unhappiness in New York, but it was quite simple to filter it out. She walked aimlessly, enjoying the nice weather and trying to forget that she had just tried to kill the one person in the world she truly loved, and who truly loved her.  
  
People looked at her oddly. She figured out why when she walked past a mirrored window; her eyes were glowing palely green. Dice bought a pair of sunglasses and put them on.  
  
When the hands closed around her she was totally caught off-guard. She screamed against the hand over her mouth and tried to activate her powers, but a needle prick sent her spinning into unconsciousness. She didn't even feel the metal collar snap around her throat.  
  
Part II  
  
"I can feel her, Logan. Like she's part of me now. I sense her." Remy closed his eyes against hot tears. His throat worked. "She's trying to lose herself. She's not far away." He looked at Logan. "Help me find her, mon ami."  
  
"I will, Cajun."  
  
"I think I love her, Logan."  
  
"I know." They split up, each taking a separate route to try and find Dice. Logan was following his senses; Remy was following the feeling in the pit of his stomach that told him Dice was near.  
  
And then she vanished from his mind. "Logan, she's gone," he said frantically into the radio.   
  
"Where was she?" Remy gave Logan his best impression of her whereabouts, and they both took off through the streets.  
  
Remy was so preoccupied, and weakened from his recent ordeal, that when the weight of the man in the black trench coat bore him to the ground he didn't even have time to protest. Collar and injection followed, and he fell limp. His attacker threw him over his shoulder and walked down the alley.  
  
Logan's radio suddenly went static. "Remy? Rems? Cajun?" He shook the radio. Changing the channel, he called back to the Institute. "Betsy, Remy's radio went dead," he said. "Can you find him?  
  
"Remy's mind is closed to me," she replied. "He has either raised his shielding...or he has been rendered unconscious."   
  
"Shit. Thanks Bets. We may need backup down here...could you get the Ready Room computer running on the tracking devices in Remy's radio and belt buckle?"  
  
"Sure thing, Logan. Be careful." He signed off and put his communicator back into the pocket of his leather jacket. "Remy, you poor, stupid bastard," he murmured to himself, "you always manage to get into trouble."  
  
Part III  
  
"Sodium pentothal is not a foolproof formula, my dear. But for someone who has never been exposed, it is a fairly effective truth serum. Of course I have other means of obtaining the information I want if it doesn't work."  
  
Dice looked up at the stranger. "What?"  
  
"What's your power, girl?"  
  
"Oh, yeah. That." She giggled. "All I can do is make people feel better. I'm like the human happy pill. Xavier calls it broadcast empathy." Dice laughed until she felt sick. "I can't even get my absorption right, I'm afraid. And since you touched me, I guess this collar does something about that."  
  
"Tell me everything you know about the X-Men."  
  
Dice shrugged, a lazy smile crossing her face. "Nothing."  
  
Her captor frowned. "Do you know who I am?" he asked.  
  
"Nope."  
  
He looked at one of the guards. "Is Frank bringing the other one?" The guard nodded. "Good. Maybe that one will be more useful to us. Damn it! Had to pick the one mutant that doesn't know a thing."  
  
"I'm the new kid," Dice said helpfully. Her captor growled and backhanded her. She laughed through the tears of pain as she lay on the floor, hands bound behind her.  
  
A thuggish-looking fellow arrived some minutes later, carrying Remy's unconscious body. He dropped him roughly to the floor. "Rems?" Dice asked.   
  
"You know this mutant?"  
  
"Yeah. We've got this weird bond thing. I can hear his emotions...I think he can hear mine. It's really fucked up. His girlfriend just died. He's sort of a train wreck, actually."  
  
The strange man bent down and injected the antidote into Remy's arm. The Cajun's head lolled and he woke slowly. With the dampening collar on, his eyes glowed far less brightly than otherwise. "Give him the pentothal."  
  
Remy blinked. "Je me sens faible." //I feel weak.//  
  
"Speak English."  
  
"Anglais? Mais Daniel, vous parlez francais, ne c'est pas?"  
  
Daniel--that was apparently his name--slapped Remy hard across the face. "Come on, Remy. Quit fucking around."  
  
"What you want, Daniel? I was having de most wonderful nap. I had dis dream..." he looked toward Dice, "You were dere, Dice. Oh, were you dere." He chuckled lasciviously. "But no worry. I still respect you."  
  
Daniel grabbed a fistful of Remy's hair and wrenched his head towards him. "You're going to tell me what I want to know, Remy."  
  
"I got a good recipe for spicy gumbo I could give you." Daniel growled in frustration and stalked over to Dice.  
  
"I swear to God, Remy, I'll kill her." He flicked open a switchblade and pressed it to her throat. She laughed hysterically, tears rolling down her cheeks.  
  
"I don't want to die, Remy," she said.  
  
His eyes grew large, and he inhaled. "Don't," he squeaked, his body shaking in fear.   
  
"Are you afraid, Remy? Do I scare you?" Daniel laughed. He looked at the two empaths and a connection was made. A wicked gleam entered Daniel's eyes.  
  
Part IV  
  
Remy was sobbing; Dice was nearly unconscious with pain and loss of blood. Daniel had tweaked their collars to give maximum transmission without giving them back any of their other abilities. "Well, Remy, I think that's all I need. You and your little girlfriend have been very helpful."   
  
The Cajun's nose was running and his eyes were puffy. "You're a fucking animal, Daniel. Va bouffer ta merde." //Eat shit.//  
  
"Sugar mouth. So how long did you wait after the funeral before you shagged this little whore?"  
  
"Fils de pute!" //Son of a bitch!// Remy snarled, saliva frothing on his lips. The sodium pentathol was wearing off. He lunged forward at Daniel, only to fall on his face.  
  
"That floor taste good?" Daniel laughed. "You're not really worth keeping alive. And I can't have you getting away to tell the X-Men what I know." He stroked his goatee thoughtfully. "Boys, do what you want with them. Just make sure they both end up dead." Daniel turned and left the two mutants with the guards.  
  
Part V  
  
Logan met the others when the Black Bird touched down. "The tracker died a few minutes ago, but we think we've got a lock," Scott said. "The only access is through the sewers."  
  
"I hate the sewers," Logan growled.  
  
"I don't think any of us like them, Logan. But Remy's down there, and he's in no shape to take care of himself."  
  
"Let's go get him, then. I'm tired of waiting around."  
  
For once, no one commented on Logan's impatience. 


	9. Rescue

Chapter 9  
  
Part I  
  
"Hey, Remy. 'Member me?"  
  
Remy looked up at the guard who'd spoken. "Oh, yeah. I remember you, Brick. Why you working for this scumbag, homme? I thought you was smarter than that. Obviously no." Remy snorted. "I shouldn'a overestimated any of you fellas." This apparently angered Brick's companions. One of them put a steel-capped toe in Remy's ribs.   
  
The ensuing round of fun gave Dice a chance to pull herself together. She got to her knees and closed her eyes, shoring up her shields and figuring out just what she could do with the collar around her neck. She reached out tentatively with her mind; she could feel Remy's psyche, but her control felt imprecise. He had shut down somehow, and was oblivious to the beating he was taking.   
  
Finally their tormentors grew tired of kicking Remy around. His lip was bleeding, and he wiped it on his shoulder with a look of disgust. They dragged him to his feet. Brick, who had stood apart while his two compatriots enjoyed manhandling Remy, was looking at Dice. Dice avoided his eyes, looking instead at Remy. He noticed her eyes for the first time, luminescing from their sockets. //Can you hear me?//  
  
She nodded slightly, masking the motion as dizziness. Remy looked at Brick, who smiled wickedly. "So, Remy. Tapping the new girl. Nice work. I'll bet Bobby's jealous."  
  
"Non. He don' care so much. He can find it wherever he wants, neh?"   
  
Brick nodded. "I'll bet. Your girlfriend's cute."  
  
"Yah, she's okay. I've had better."   
  
//I know what he's going to do,// Dice thought, broadcasting as best she could.  
  
"Mm." Brick walked over to Remy. "So you won't mind sharin' for a few minutes." Remy felt cold; he met Brick's eyes defiantly. Brick laughed. "Hold him," he told the others as he walked back towards Dice. She took a deep breath. Remy struggled against the guards' arms, cursing softly in French.  
  
The sound of tearing fabric met Remy's ears and he turned away, his gorge rising. One of the thugs grabbed his chin and turned him back. Anger lined his face, and tears stood out in his eyes. But he watched. Dice willed her shields into place, and for the first time Remy felt the absence of her mind. He wasn't sure which was worse: being without her presence, or feeling what was happening to her. When Brick had finished, he stood.  
  
"Yeah, you're right, Remy. She's okay." Remy looked at Dice's eyes for the first time and felt the shields drop.   
  
//I am armed.//  
  
Remy shifted his gaze to Brick. //I'll distract them.// "You're an animal, Brick. She's just a kid." Brick laughed and punched Remy in the gut. Dice struggled off the floor, fighting pain and shock. She had struggled out of her bonds, and her wrists were bleeding, but she held Brick's throwing knives. While the three guards were distracted, she took aim. In rapid succession, three whistles and three thumps met her ears. Remy fell forward slightly but caught himself, and in a moment his hands were free. Brick was still alive, despite the blade emerging from his spine. Remy grabbed his chin and twisted hard. The crunch was satisfying.  
  
Part II  
  
"Dana. Dana." Remy fell to the floor beside her.  
  
"Hey, Remy," she said softly. She was hyperventilating; shock had set in. Remy flinched at the sight of the blood between her legs. "They're dead, right?"  
  
"Yeah, don't worry. Don't worry about anything. It's alright." Remy stripped the trench coat from his shoulders and wrapped her in it. "Let's get out of here, cherie." He bundled her into his arms and staggered to his feet. He made it to the door and fumbled with the plate; it finally slid open and he all but fell through it. A patter of footsteps sent him back through the doorway, peering around the frame. His relief flowed over Dice and she sighed. "Mon Dieu, it's good to see you guys," he choked, stumbling towards the other X-Men.   
  
Kurt took Dice from him. "I'll get her back to the Black Bird," he said, vanishing in a puff of smoke. Logan went over to Remy, who fell onto his friend.  
  
"There be three dead men in the other room," Remy said.  
  
"We'll clean it up."  
  
Remy choked back a sob. "Monsters. It was Daniel, Logan. Tortured Dice in front of me so I would tell him what he wanted to know." His eyes blazed. "I want him dead, mon ami. I want him dead." Logan could not help but agree. 


	10. Connections

Chapter 10  
  
Part I  
  
"Why isn't he awake?"  
  
"The Professor says I should leave Remy out until Dana is ready to wake up. Something about the bonds between their minds."  
  
Ororo nodded. "Can I touch her?"  
  
"That's the thing. Charles said she's built some sort of shield that keeps her powers under control, even when she's unconscious. It's what they've been working on for the last week. But all of a sudden she has one. When we took the collar off it was in place."  
  
Ororo took Dice's hand in hers. "This poor girl," she said softly.  
  
Soon Dice passed from coma to deep sleep and Hank allowed Remy to rise from the fog of anesthesia. He was a trifle unsteady at first, but managed to get himself showered, dressed, and fed. When they would let him, he returned to the infirmary.   
  
Dice blinked awake. "Remy?"  
  
"Right here, cherie."  
  
She sighed through her nose. "Could you help me up?" Remy got her sitting upright. "I'll bet I look a wreck," she said.  
  
He pushed her hair behind her ear. "You look absolument beautiful, cherie." She rolled her eyes. "Hey, we could be Christmas decorations," he said with a grin, touching her temple. Dice's face tightened.  
  
"I could have killed you," she whispered.  
  
"You didn't." She turned away. "Hey, hey. Don't beat yourself up about it."  
  
"I'm dangerous, Remy. I can't control myself." He felt her shutting down the link between them and he grimaced.  
  
"Don't. Please stay with me. It...it hurts worse when you're gone, Dice." She conceded, releasing her shield.  
  
"I never want to hurt you again, Remy."  
  
He smiled sadly. "We always hurt de ones we love, dey say."  
  
"And I do love you, Remy." She touched his cheek lightly. He put his arms around her and pulled her close; she stiffened.  
  
//Pain shame despair confusion shock//  
  
Remy let go. "I'm sorry," he said, cheeks flushing red. He looked away from her. "Dat monster," he breathed, his voice laced with anger.  
  
Dice shuddered. "He's dead."  
  
Defiantly, Remy met her eyes once more. "I killed him, cherie, and it felt really good. His neck snapped in my hands, you know? Dat's the kind of person I am. Maybe I a monster too. You ever consider dat?"  
  
"The thought had crossed my mind...but it was your own, not mine."  
  
He closed his eyes and swallowed hard. "How much do you see when you look at me?" he asked softly.  
  
"Everything."  
  
Pain furrowed his brow. "Everyting, neh? Den I got no secrets anymore."  
  
"Secrets eat away at you, Gambit." The two young mutants looked up as Professor Xavier came in. "Most people find someone who can listen to their secrets. You have a confidante, whether you wanted one or not. We can help you to build a wall in your mind against Dana's intrusion, if you like. In fact I'd recommend such an action; the more closely linked your minds are, the less distinct your personalities will become until you are truly the same person living in two bodies."  
  
Remy shivered slightly. "Why do Dice know so much about me, when all I get from her is feeling? I only hear her in my head when she wants."  
  
"Dana is far more powerful psychically than you will ever be, I'm afraid," Charles said. "And she absorbed more than just your power when she touched you the other night." Dice shivered and drew her knees to her chest. "You know, Logan said he needs a fifth for no-powers basketball, if you're feeling up for it. I'll keep Dice company." Remy took the hint and left them alone.  
  
"Wouldn't it be best for us to part?"  
  
Charles shook his head. "No, my dear. I don't think Remy will ever be able to have a romantic relationship again if you reject him. Part of him will still be bound up in you."  
  
"Oh." She hung her head. "I just don't want to keep hurting him, Professor."  
  
"A noble sentiment. Why do you think he'll come to harm if he stays with you? You helped him with the pain of his loss, though he's certainly got some issues to work through. You shielded him from the trauma of being inside your mind when you were raped. I think you've protected him more than you've hurt him."  
  
"But I can't control myself! I could've killed him the other night...and then I ran off and left him alone. What's to stop it from happening again? And this time maybe I won't wake up in time."  
  
Charles patted the back of her hand. "You haven't been awake very long, Dana. But isn't it odd to you that Hank was able to treat you even though you were unconscious?"  
  
She was puzzled. "I thought he'd leave the collar on."  
  
"No. You've done it, Dana. You've created some sort of shield that locks into place when you're not consciously controlling your powers. I don't know how you did it, but it's there."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Charles waited a moment. "Is there anything you'd like to talk about, Dana? You've been through so much in the last two weeks; your life has been turned upside down."  
  
"For the better, mostly. I have a home now, and something like a family." Then she shuddered. "When Remy put his arms around me, all I could feel was that thug on top of me. I could smell him; I could taste his breath. But none of it was real. It was just Remy. He thought he had done something wrong. And when he realized what it was, his head filled with all sorts of guilt and anger at himself. I wanted to tell him it wasn't his fault, but I just couldn't. I was suddenly very afraid."  
  
"Of Remy?"  
  
"Not really _of_ him, no. More like...for him? Or, maybe for _us_." She looked at him plaintively. "Do you understand?"  
  
"More than you do, I'm afraid. You've had a very traumatic experience, Dana. You're remarkably sound for it. Remy is confused right now, you see. He's heartsick and wants someone to comfort him--as you have--but he sees you as vulnerable. He wants to protect you from yourself and from the rest of the world. When he couldn't do it, well, you've felt the state his mind is in. I don't know how to help Remy at this point, I'm sorry to say. The only person who truly understands him is you."  
  
"So I guess you were right about us helping each other," she said softly.  
  
"I don't think anyone else can, Dana." Xavier leaned his chin on his hand and looked at her fondly. "You are a remarkable girl. I think you'll be just fine. If you can recover, Remy will get better as well. He's not as young and resilient as you are, and he's had a lot of grief in his life."  
  
Dice blushed a little. "Professor...just how old _is_ Remy? I mean, some of the X-Men are a lot older than they look."  
  
Xavier chuckled. "Remy is in fact younger than he looks. We're not precisely sure, but somewhere between twenty-eight and thirty-one."  
  
"Oh, good." She chewed her lip slightly. "I was a little worried that he was old enough to be my dad or something. That's just weird."  
  
Part II  
  
Dice made her way upstairs, a trifle unsteady but otherwise fine. She took a hot bath and put on some real clothes. Hank tried to convince her she should eat something, but she politely refused.  
  
The basketball game had gotten a late start, and Dice settled down in the grassy, wooded area adjacent to the court to watch. It was fascinating to watch the group dynamic. "No-powers" of course could not be done; some of the mutants possessed speed and agility that was superhuman but totally beyond their control. To make up for this, the teams were each given an equal number of super-fast, super-agile mutants. Logan's team ended up with too many, so Remy got traded to the other side with Nightcrawler as his captain.   
  
Dice was never very interested in so-called 'normal' sports, but she really enjoyed the game. She carefully hid her presence from Remy--who didn't need the distraction. He was playing poorly, though his team still won. Nightcrawler slapped him on the back and told him he understood, since Remy was fresh out of the infirmary, and then everyone went inside to get cleaned up. Remy stayed behind with the ball, distracting himself with the mindlessness of physical activity. Dice noted happily that he didn't light a cigarette. She'd seen in his mind that he was trying to quit, but stress made him grope for the lighter more than anything. And he'd been very stressed recently.  
  
She faded her presence in, and Remy straightened. His ears perked as though he'd heard something. "Allo?" He looked around. "Dice?"  
  
"I'm here," she said softly, coming over to stand by the hoop. He balanced the ball on his hip with one hand and walked over.  
  
"How long have you been dere?"  
  
"Since about six minutes in. Good game...you seem a little rusty." She smiled, and he returned it almost shyly.  
  
"I play better most of de time," he said.   
  
"I know."  
  
He nodded slightly. "Listen, Dice. I's sorry for, you know, in de infirmary."  
  
She shook her head. "Don't be." She took the ball from him and dribbled it a few times. "I can't help but know what you're thinking, Remy. Maybe soon the Professor can change that, but right now it's like a radio blaring in my ear. I promise you, Remy, that there is a world of difference between a man like you and the animals we've encountered."  
  
"I don' see it," he murmured.  
  
Dice set the ball down and looked him squarely in the eye. "When you put your arms around me, I had a flashback and you saw it. What was your reaction?"  
  
"I let go."  
  
"Exactly." He blinked, confused. "You thought you were hurting me somehow, emotionally. And you backed away. You _cared_ about what I felt, Remy." Dice laid a hand on his shoulder. "I know you can't see everything that goes on in my head."  
  
Remy shook his head. "I get dese vague impressions, when you're not broadcasting. I guess I got to do it de hard way. De ol-fashioned way." He smiled slightly.  
  
Dice nodded. "Tu m'aimes, Remy?" she asked quietly, eyes sparkling. //Do you love me?//  
  
His moment of surprise faded; of course she could speak French, if she had unlimited access to his mind and memories. "C'est possible," //It's possible,// he said teasingly, laughing.  
  
She blushed pink. "Ne ris pas, Remy. Je suis serieuse." //Don't laugh. I'm serious.//  
  
He nodded. "As truly and as deeply as I know how," he said.  
  
Dice smiled. "Quelle chance! I love you too." He hesitated a moment, uncertain. "Go ahead, Remy," she encouraged quietly. Remy bent his head to kiss her, his arms sliding around her body. Dice still felt the surge of panic when the powerful, muscular arms entrapped her, but she clamped it down. She could feel his innocent gratitude. When her heart stopped fluttering in fear, she returned the kiss, her fingers finding a hold on his shoulders.  
  
"Thank you," she said when he released her.  
  
"For what?"  
  
"You think I have a beautiful body."   
  
It was his turn to blush. "C'est vrai. You do." Dice laughed, leaning her forehead against his temple.  
  
"Want to hear a secret?" she asked, brushing a quick kiss to his cheek.  
  
"Oui."  
  
"You're incredible." She slipped out of his grasp and headed back toward the mansion. Remy jogged to catch up. 


End file.
